Women's Indoor Track and Field | 3/17/2021 1:11:48 PM
Alfred University, Houghton College, Nazareth College, Russell Sage College, St. John Fisher and Utica College will compete at the 2021 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships starting at 11:30 am on Friday, March 19 from the Golisano Training Center on the campus of Nazareth. St. John Fisher will look to repeat as Empire 8 Champions.
No spectators will be allowed per New York State guidelines. Live results and video will be available on Friday. For more on this year's championship - including
entries,
results, and updated information - please visit the
Empire 8 Championship Central page.
2021 Empire 8 Team Capsules (Order Based on 2020 Championship Finish)
St. John Fisher enjoyed tremendous depth to win the 2020 Empire 8 Championship and will look to duplicate that effort this weekend. Sophomore Riley Corey is the defending Empire 8 Champion in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meters and enters the meet with the top current time among all E8 student-athletes in both events this season. Teammates Morgan Gould and Laura Witt are right behind Corey in both events. The Cardinals have a strong group of sprinters in Maria Covelli, McKenna Cone and Olivia Pawlewicz, who will look to gain valuable points. Cone is also a strong contender in the hurdles and jumps. Pawlewicz, Lauren DeMichele and Chelsea Lamphere are also contenders in the middle distance events. On the field side, senior Jordan Lehman, the 2020 E8 shot put champion, will be a strong contender in both throwing events. Alondra Arroyo and Jordyn Poole are among the league leaders in the pole vault, while Claudia Vogel will vie for points in the high jump.
Utica was the 2021 Empire 8 Championship runner-up and has several student-athletes in contention for league titles. Sophomore Kelsey Wands, the 2020 E8 Field Athlete of the Year returns as the defending champion in the long jump. Junior Laura Meade is the defending E8 champion in the triple jump. Both enter the 2021 championship with the second best marks in their respective events. Meade is also a top sprinter who will contend in the 60-meters. Wands and Meade are currently 1-2 among all E8 student-athletes in the long jump. Caroline Castriotta enters the meet with the top height among all E8 student-athletes in the pole vault and is also a top sprinter. Sophomore thrower Jane Fahy has the league’s best toss in the shot put (12.15 meters) and will be a contender in the weight throw as well. Gabrielle DeSanctis and Skyler Whorf will look to score for Utica in the throws as well. Amina Sinclair and Cora Maxwell are top contenders in the high jump.
Nazareth, the 2021 host, is looking for its first Empire 8 crown. Junior Brenna Johnson, the 2019 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, is attempting to win her third straight crown in the 400-meter dash. She enters the 2021 championship with the top current times among all Empire 8 student-athletes in the 60-, 200- and 400-meters this season. Junior Madison Sabourin, senior Abbey Szumloz and first-year Sophie Hartz will vie for points in the sprint events as well. Szumloz, Hannah Ragule and Sydney Vanderhoof are currently all in the top-5 among all E8 student-athletes in the hurdles currently. Senior Elizabeth Decker, junior Claire Bargabos, sophomore Emily Weaver and freshman Paige Ackley will contend in the middle distance events as well. Weaver, Lilianna Hanning and Madeline Dovi are looking to earn points in the distance events. Ragule and Hartz are among the top jumpers in the league. Ragule is the current E8 leader in both the long jump and triple jump during her debut season. Fellow first-year standout Lea Richard is the current E8 leader in the weight throw and will team with Gabrielle Pighetti to form a potent 1-2 combo in the throwing events.
Houghton will look to win its first E8 title in 2021. Sophomore Amanda Burrichter enters the championship meet with the top time in the mile and is third in the 3,000-meters. Senior Edena Sanchez is the two-time defending champion in the 800-meters. Senior Julia Hotchkiss will also be counted on to score in the mile and 3,000-meters. Junior Kealy DeForest and Haley DeJager will represent the Highlanders in the sprint events, while Mary Shaker and Leah O’Connell will run in the middle distance races. Houghton is always well represented in the relay events and this season should be no different. Katie Widmer will look to score points in the jumps, while Alyssa Lyon and Kathryn Evans are Houghton’s top throwers.
Alfred enters the 2021 Empire 8 Championship looking to improve off of last season’s fifth place finish. Junior Madison Palmer is a strong contender in both throws events. She is second in the Empire 8 with a throw of 11.28 meters in the shot put and has the fourth best toss in the weight throw. Ana Ion and Esther Boateng will also vie for points in the throws. Ion also enters the meet tied for the first among all E8 student-athletes in the high jump. Krissy Roberts and Bianca Durso are both strong contenders in the jumping events. First-year standout Olivia Gilbert enters the championship with the fourth best time in the 800-meters, while senior Holly Passetti will represent the Saxons in both the mile and 3,000-meters.
Sage is in its first season as an indoor track and field program but has already had a handful of student-athletes who are among top contenders in a handful of events. Natalie Ricci, the reigning E8 Track Athlete of the Week, is among the top contenders in the 60- and 200-meter sprint events. Cailegh Miron, Shakura Murray and Julia Gerringer will also look to score in the sprint events. Mackenzie Feeley and Emma Cronin, along with Molly Kane will contend in the distance events. Murray, Victoria Johnson and Jasmine Zollman are set to compete in the jump events, while Monalissa Carius and Fiona Mulligan will participate in throws events.
Current 2021 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Top Performances
60-meter dash – Brenna Johnson, Nazareth – :8.06
200-meter dash – Brenna Johnson, Nazareth – :27.37
400-meter dash – Brenna Johnson, Nazareth – 1:01.42
800-meter run – Edena Sanchez, Houghton – 2:27.19
Mile run – Amanda Burrichter, Houghton – 5:25.80
3,000-meter run – Riley Corey, St. John Fisher – 10:41.68
5,000-meter run – Riley Corey, St. John Fisher – 18:58.06
60-meter hurdles – McKenna Cone, St. John Fisher – :9.57
4 x 400-meter relay – Nazareth – 4:19.32
Distance Medley relay – Sage – 14:20.58
High Jump – Ana Ion, Alfred – 1.54 meters (5’0.5”)
Hayden Williamson, Houghton – 1.54 meters (5’0.5”)
Long Jump – Hannah Ragule, Nazareth – 5.13 meters (16’10”)
Triple Jump – Hannah Ragule, Nazareth – 10.60 meters (34’9.5”)
Pole Vault – Caroline Castriotta, Utica – 3.05 meters (10.0”)
Shot Put – Jane Fahy, Utica – 12.15 meters (39’10.5”)
Weight Throw – Lea Richard, Nazareth – 14.77 meters (48’4.75”)
For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8).
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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